China Payroll review: low-cost payroll outsourcing and EOR in Shanghai
A Shanghai payroll and Employer of Record division of the DaCare recruitment group, selling to foreign SMEs at a published US$150 per employee per month across thirteen Chinese cities. It is cheap and clear on price, and thin on everything a buyer would use to check it. We scored it on our eight criteria.
The lowest published price in China, which earns it third place; verify the employing entity yourself.
China Payroll describes itself as a China Employer of Record and HR outsourcing provider founded in 2002 and a specialised division of the DaCare group, a Shanghai recruitment firm. It offers EOR and PEO, payroll outsourcing, HR compliance, benefits, work permits and visas, recruitment and office rental from an office in Yangpu, Shanghai, with coverage in twelve mainland cities and Hong Kong, and it publishes its price: payroll or EOR from US$150 per employee per month, work visas from US$880, recruitment from US$5,000 per hire. That is the lowest published rate we have seen in China. The evidence to set against it is thin. The pricing page was last updated in 2023; the legal entity verified on Clutch is DaCare International Limited, a Hong Kong company incorporated in December 2019, so the “since 2002” date refers to the parent rather than the EOR business; the Chinese employing company is not named; the founder is not named; and the independent record is two Clutch reviews, both five stars, from January 2026. Named clients on its site include Philips, GE, eBay and Bosch, which we cannot verify.
Choose China Payroll if you are a small foreign company that wants the lowest published price for payroll or EOR in a major Chinese city and is prepared to verify the employing entity yourself. Look elsewhere if you want a named Chinese employing company, current documentation, or a provider with a review record.
Who actually employs your staff: not published
China Payroll does not publish the name of the Chinese company that employs EOR staff. Clutch’s verification lists the business entity as DaCare International Limited, a Hong Kong company incorporated on 19 December 2019 (company registration 2904182), which cannot itself employ staff on the mainland. A Chinese group company therefore sits behind the service, and its name, licence and dispatch position are the first things to ask for.
The Shanghai office is on Guo Ding Dong Road in Yangpu; Clutch also lists US addresses in Illinois and California and a US phone number, consistent with a sales presence for American clients.
| Field | What we found |
|---|---|
| Brand | China Payroll, a division of the DaCare group (Shanghai recruitment) |
| Contracting entity (Clutch) | DaCare International Limited, Hong Kong, incorporated 19 December 2019, CR no. 2904182 |
| Chinese employing company | Not published |
| Office | Guo Ding Dong Road, Yangpu, Shanghai 200093; US addresses listed on Clutch |
| Cities | Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Nanjing, Tianjin, Chongqing, Foshan, Dongguan, Chengdu, Hong Kong |
| Staff | 50–249, self-reported on Clutch |
| Founded | “2002” per site; refers to the parent group |
Details from china-payroll.com and Clutch, read 24 October 2026. Ask for the business licence of the Chinese employing company, the dispatch licence if dispatch is used, and a current fee schedule.
Eight criteria, the same for every provider
- Lowest published rate here: payroll or EOR from US$150 per employee per month
- Clear add-on pricing: work visa from US$880, recruitment from US$5,000
- Twelve mainland cities and Hong Kong; onboarding in three to five business days
- Recruitment and office rental available through the DaCare group
- Two verified Clutch reviews, both five stars
- Chinese employing company not published; the verified contracting entity is a 2019 Hong Kong company
- Pricing page last updated in 2023
- “Founded 2002” refers to the parent; founder not named
- No G2 or Trustpilot presence; client logos not verifiable
- No platform, employee app or statutory guides described
Payroll and EOR for foreign SMEs, from a recruitment group
China Payroll sells the essentials a small foreign company needs to put someone on a Chinese payroll without an entity, and leans on the DaCare group for recruitment and office space.
Payroll outsourcing and EOR/PEO
Payroll, social insurance, housing fund and IIT; EOR or PEO employment; from US$150 per employee per month
Visas and HR compliance
Work permits and visas from US$880 per application; HR compliance and benefits
Recruitment and office
Recruitment from US$5,000 per hire via DaCare; office and virtual office rental
What China Payroll handles for a Chinese employee
| Obligation | Status | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Labour contract | Partial | EOR/PEO employment offered; employing company not named |
| Social insurance (five funds) | Handled | Stated as part of payroll outsourcing in twelve mainland cities |
| Housing fund | Handled | Stated as part of payroll outsourcing |
| Individual income tax | Handled | Withholding and filing stated |
| Dispatch structure and 10% cap | Unverified | Not stated |
| Work permits and residence permits | Handled | From US$880 per application |
| Recruitment | Offered | From US$5,000 per hire through DaCare |
What you actually pay for one Shanghai hire on RMB 30,000 a month
China Payroll publishes payroll or EOR from US$150 per employee per month (about RMB 1,080), on a pricing page last updated in April 2023. Confirm the current rate.
| Line item (monthly) | RMB |
|---|---|
| Gross monthly salary | 30,000 |
| Employer pension (16%) | 4,800 |
| Employer medical incl. maternity (9%) | 2,700 |
| Unemployment and work injury (approx. 1%) | 300 |
| Housing fund (7%) | 2,100 |
| China Payroll fee (US$150 ≈ RMB 1,080) | 1,080 |
| Total monthly employer cost | ≈ 40,980 |
- Payroll, social insurance, housing fund and IIT administration
- EOR or PEO employment contract
- HR compliance support
- Work visas from US$880; recruitment from US$5,000
- Deposit, setup and FX terms (not published)
- Office rental
Illustrative, Shanghai 2026 rates. Ask for a current fee schedule, the employing company and deposit terms.
If China Payroll is not the fit
RemotePeople
Slightly more per month for a named Chinese company, five offices, recruitment and incorporation.
Read our RemotePeople reviewMSA Asia
Named Shanghai entity, published prices and accounting alongside.
Read our MSA Asia reviewCIIC
The state-owned dispatch incumbent for representative offices and large programmes.
Read our CIIC reviewCommon questions about China Payroll in China
Which company employs my staff with China Payroll?
How much does China Payroll charge?
Where does China Payroll operate?
Is China Payroll the same as other sites called China payroll?
Not sure China Payroll is the one?
Compare all fifteen providers on entity, dispatch structure, city coverage and loaded cost, or ask us which route fits your situation.
How this review was made
Scored on the same eight China criteria as every provider on this site. Facts from china-payroll.com and Clutch, read 24 October 2026. China Payroll did not pay for this review and did not see it before publication.
Sources: china-payroll.com home, company, pricing, region coverage and contact pages · Clutch profile and verification (DaCare International Limited), read 24 October 2026.